Signs that help us move into a new reality

Scripture Verses that Caught My Attention Today: Mark 16:5-7 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”

Observation: The Lord provided a messenger to the women and to us. Had the tomb simply been empty, they would have naturally assumed that someone simply stole the body. More importantly, we as the readers are able to see the bigger picture as well.

Application: I remember reading the news of a pastor who received a new pair of ice-skates and a new pair of gloves for Christmas. He lived in one of the northern states (perhaps Wisconsin, but I don’t remember for sure) and the next day he and a friend headed out to skate across a nearby lake. When they didn’t return in a timely manner, the family went looking for them. They found a set of tracks on the lake and followed them to the hole in the ice. Lest there be any doubt of who had fallen in, there on the edge of the ice was the new pair of gloves.

I’ve always been touched by that true story, both by its tragic elements and also because of the gloves. Even though the news was grim, the gloves were nevertheless a final gesture from the deceased so that there would be no need to worry or wonder anymore. Yes, he and his friend were the ones who had fallen through the ice.

Better news, of course, is in today’s gospel message. I compared today’s lesson from Mark with the other three gospels and was reminded that three of the gospels have some sort of angel or messenger (two in one of the other gospels) break the news of the resurrection to the women. They wouldn’t have to worry about recovering a stolen body or anything of the like. Rather, they could concentrate of figuring out their next steps in a world that suddenly is different than what they had known, suddenly new life is possible even after death.

I guess we’re all still trying to figure out what that means in or own daily life.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to make sense of this new reality in our daily lives as well. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Scripture Readings today included Job 26-27 and Mark 15-16)